Melodica



Oct. 19, 1943. c. H. HAGOPIAN 2,331,975

' MELODIGA Filed April 4, 1942 Freg+ INVENTOR.

cr-gmLEs H. HAGOPIAN.

Paul A.'T 1UmT.

A TTOR'A/EY.

Patented Oct. 19, 1943 UNITED'STATES PATENT OFFICE MELODICA Charles H. Hagopian, New York, N. Y.

Application April 4, 1942, Serial No. 437,624

1 Claim.

My invention relates to a musical instrument into which the tune is hummed and amplified. Among the purposes and objects are to provide:

A musical instrument which changes the tone and volume of the human voice.

A means of changing the tone by manipulation of the fingers as well as the human voice in an instrument held in the mouth.

The combination of a pipe and voice vibrating instrument.

A simple musical instrument easily played by anyone.

A musical instrument and a pendent for carrying it.

I accomplish these and other objects by the construction hereinafter described and shown in the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof in which:

Fig. 1 is a front elevation.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section at 3-3 Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is an elevation of one of. the halves.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the application of the pendent.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of a modification.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawin and in the specification to follow.

I prefer to call my musical instrument a melodica because with it, it is easy for anyone, with slight experience, to carry a melody and to amplify a tune, as when humming, and to change the characteristics of the sound emanating from it by covering and uncovering the apertures of the pipe with the fingers in much the same manner as when playing a piccolo or flute.

Because of the ease of playing my musical instrument and because it is compact and not easily damaged, it may be suspended from the neck and Worn by children, Boy and Girl Scouts, huntters, or others, and used for call and out of door entertainment.

The preferred construction may be better understood by referring to the drawing which shows, in detail, one of the constructions which, of course, may be modified by those skilled in the art to which this invention pertains, particularly after a study of this disclosure.

It is not the purpose of the specification and drawing to limit the scope of this invention, but rather to illustrate one of the constructions embodying the underlying principles of my invention.

A pair of concavo-convex discs I and 2 are assembled with their convex surface adjacent to each other, thereby forming a sound chamber 3 having an inlet pipe 4 extending a substantial distance beyond the general periphery 5 of the discs. The two halves of the pipe and also a small part of the periphery of the discs are joined and cemented permanently together when the two parts are assembled- The cemented portions are designated in Fig. 4 by the stippled surface.

The half I of the pair difiers from the part 2 by reason of the apertures 6 along the half of the pipe 4. The other half of the pipe integral with the disc 2, is not provided with apertures.

Each half of the pair is provided with the coincident apertured ears I in which the apertures 8 provide a means of inserting assembling dowels, not shown, to hold the two halves in perfect alignment during the process of cementing the pair together, as well as to provide apertures into which a chain or cord pendent 9 may be secured to suspend my instrument from the neck of the wearer.

The apertures B are so disposed along the pipe and proportioned to change the nature of the sound by being covered or uncovered by the finger of the player.

The uncemented marginal peripheral edge II, the sound chamber walls In and discs are relatively thin and sufiiciently flexible to vibrate violently when air and sound vibrations enter the sound chamber from the mouth and throat of the player, greatly amplifying the humming tune entering the instrument. The tone characteristic is changed by the manipulation of the fingers on the apertures 6.

In Fig. 6, I have shown a modification in which the sound chamber 20 connects with a smaller sound chamber 2| which in turn is connected with the pipe 22 in which the aperture 23 is provided for the finger of the player and which changes the tone or sound which emanates from the sound chambers and their vibrating peripheries 24 and 25 which respond to the higher and lower tones or shorter and longer sound vibrations.

The pipe also serve as mouth pieces as well as a means of regulating the tone.

The shape and the proportion of the pipe to the sound chamber discs may vary in shape and size which, in most cases, changes the tone and amplification.

The above disclosure is helpful in a better understanding of the term and meanings of the appended claim which succinctly sets forth my invention.

I claim:

In a musical instrument, a pair of discs cupped and held in substantial abutting relation to form a sound chamber, and a pipe providing a tubular entrance connected to said sound chamber, said pipe and a part of said pair of disc being secured to each other in fixed relation and a substantial part of the periphery of said discs being held in vibrating relationship to each other, and means in said pipe to change the tone emanating from said instrument.

CHARLES H. HAGOPIAN. 

